Shadow's Echo
by rockyroad69
Summary: Link, not able to let go of Midna, tries to reconstruct the Mirror of Twilight in his home on his own somehow. It is not wise, however, to defy the will of the goddesses. Everything is done for a reason, as Link will find out. To regain his lost love, he may have to sacrifice even more, instead of attaining the ending he desires. MidLink
1. An Unwanted Awakening

Shadow's Echo

 **An Unwanted Awakening**

 **Disclaimer: Twilight Princess is the _only_ LoZ game I've _fully_ played so this story occurs _only_ in that universe, and lore You're all free to say stuff when I dun goof on the lore though. :')**

 **Beta-ed by ShadowDeity'sFire.**

xXx

It had been a couple of years since Midna had shattered the Mirror of Twilight, the last link between Hyrule's brightness and the darkened Twilight Realm.

The portal, now deemed a mistake and a danger by the people of Hyrule, was eventually shattered by Twilight's ruler – Midna. He knew the stakes, he did. However, the hero could not quite understand Midna's doing. Link knew she didn't even want to do it; he knew Midna. The large, amber eyes he became so accustomed to seeing never looked so sad when she looked at him last.

He knew he should be in denial, in some sort, or feel sad, yet all he felt was a lingering confusion. There was only one keepsake that he possessed: the stone which the Twilight Princess used to turn him into a wolf when needed – his form inside the Twilight Realm. He could almost hear a soft howl escaping his throat, as the world's colours seeming to condense into a familiar dimness that he was once accustomed to.

Link remembered Midna's small form on his back, and remembered her unique childlike and high-pitched voice which never changed even after reverting to the proud and tall princess that she was. He recalled every wry smirk that came his way after a battle or a dungeon, a curl of the lips that he noticed grew softer and more tender. The same impish grin that he regularly made fun of, much to her chagrin.

There were too many things he tried to remember. And all he felt for the past few years was a kind of convoluted confusion. A frequent question of 'why?' that kept going on in his mind, answered by the same impish voice, her voice, calmly stating a simple reason. The same reason Princess, no, _Queen_ Zelda told:

" _It was necessary."_

Perhaps it was. All the troubles with the Twilight Realm only started due to contact with it, but still, he did not understand. Maybe he did not want to.

Since then, life was nothing short of odd for Link. He never woke up to from a shadow's sudden, painful jolt caused by the cheeky imp. He would never navigate through unforgiving and dangerous dungeons with her again, or even exchange snide remarks while traversing the road.

Things Link felt he had forever.

It was simply…odd. However, he _knew_ Midna, and _knew_ that she did not want to cut everything off from him. She was his best friend, his very own shadow. And he did not stop looking at his own for the past two years.

xXx

 **Ordon's Village, Link's House**

A distant eagle's call woke Link up. The sun still hadn't risen, something the young Hylian already grown used to. During his journey, Link managed to kick his habit of sleeping in – with Midna's ever endearing help, of course; she shocked him with shadow magic every time he did.

The village was still quiet, with the farm animals yet to roost. He looked across his home to a frame set upon his desk, something that he had worked on for over two years.

The Mirror of Twilight.

He felt the rush of memories ashis eyes set upon the beautiful intricate patterns tracing across the mirror, once linking Hyrule to the Twilight Realm.

xXx

 _Link was in a stupor, too shocked to move, while the shattered mirror fell to the ground. Shard by shard, the magic behind it noticeably and slowly was destroyed. Midna's enchanted tear fell on the ground in some sort of crystallized form. The winds of the desert did their part to blow many shards away._

 _The hero didn't know why, or even how, but he reacted._

 _Taking out his rupee wallet, Link grabbed every mirror shard and crystal-like thing he saw on the ground, shoving it into the purse's large compartment. He felt icy pain, and warm blood running down his palm as the shards cut into his skin, but he didn't care. He needed to save the mirror; at least, somehow. In the background, the Sages and Zelda begged him to stop. That was useless, they argued, for all he was doing was hurting himself…._

Tracing the cracks across the screen, Link sighed.

Despite his best efforts, the mirror was for the most part, incomplete. At least a one-fifth of the pieces were still missing, probably lost forever throughout the Gerudo Desert. Link returned to the desert a few times, but found naught but sand. The residual magic wasn't even enough to light a bonfire, let alone open a portal to another realm.

All that remained inside his pouch was an obsidian stone and a shimmering crystal. Both of which were the last things he had belonging to Midna. The obsidian stone was the magical item which cursed him, before the Twilight Princess used it to turn Link into a wolf at will.

The shimmering crystal was the enchanted tear Midna used to shatter the Mirror. It was his reminder of the quest, or as he had personally described to Zelda, the cruelty of the Goddesses.

Placing the tear into the Mirror's center, Link closed his eyes in resignation. He could almost hear a small, thrumming sound, but passed it off as the breeze or his Triforce acting up again. If nothing else, the "reconstruction" was something to pass the time with ever. There was still another unopened letter from the newly crowned Queen Zelda on his desk, embroidered with the Royal Seal and written in familiar, neat yet elegant handwriting.

Link sighed while skimming through the letter. Despite the numerous rejections he gave the Queen, it was another offer to join the Knights of Hyrule. Zelda recruited him on the basis that he was the hero who defeated the forces of Twilight and brought peace to Hyrule – which Link had already insisted wasn't true.

If anything, Midna was the true Hero of Twilight. It was she who guided Link throughout his own mission, always giving advice and aiding when needed. And she as the Twilight Princess, made the decision to save Hyrule with him even after they saved her own people. She could have simply cut off the link between worlds, but she persisted in Hyrule to help Link defeat Ganondorf. Link knew for a fact that without Midna, Ganondorf would never have been defeated, and Hyrule would fall into darkness.

Or even Zelda, for that matter. If not for her decisive and bold actions as acting ruler, the land would have fallen long ago. Link was nothing more than a weapon, a sword charged by the Goddesses to enforce the will of two powerful princesses.

For that, Link could not bear to accept Zelda's offer on the account of being the Hero of Twilight – because he wasn't.

Rolling up the letter, he looked out the window and squinted as a ray of light pierced his vision; the sun came up. The day was silent, with only the rustling of trees and sounds of animals roosting. He remembered when Fado would always call for him around this time, but times had changed. Ever since his quest, Link became more withdrawn from the village, a sort of a recluse, and he devoted all his time and effort into reassembling the Mirror.

Link found it extremely peaceful in this tranquil silence, knowing that no one called for him anymore. That is, except Colin, of course. The young boy never gave up on his desire to break Link out of his self-induced isolation. Others had tried, Ilia especially. But, after a while, they understood that Link simply did not want to be disturbed. Link almost admired the stubbornness Colin had, and had to admit, his interest perked up a little.

Besides, Link had nothing left to do now for the mirror, and while he wouldn't admit it, he missed Colin. And the other villagers, for that matter. He regretted not coming out sooner; they were nothing but kind to him. However, Link knew what was done, was done. The mirror's residual magic was the only thing it had anyway, devoid of hope.

Midna would not have wanted him to linger over something as foolish as a powerless bag of shards.

With a deep breath, Link opened the door, and forced a smile for the beaming young kid. Colin had grown bigger than before, especially with the newly toned muscles in his arms. His trimmed blonde hair looked messier than Link remembered. Not to mention, there was a fire he in the once timid child's eyes.

Link couldn't help but feel amazed at how much Colin had grown up for the past two years. He could only mumble out lamely. "A spar?"

xXx

Colin couldn't speak, still amazed that Link came out given that Link never answered anyone aside from the mailman, and the Queen's messengers. The young boy remembered when Link returned from saving Hyrule. There was a tired, dull look in his once vibrant blue eyes, trudging into the tree house and shutting himself away from everyone. He was never in the same place after his adventure. Colin could count the number of time Link had spoken to him on one hand. Even when he caught Link going out for various necessities, he would reply with one word answers, a small nod, or an outright blank look.

Even Ilia couldn't reach him, no matter how much she tried. Every time she shouted, cried, or pleaded, she was met with silence. Eventually, she couldn't bear it anymore. She left the village in tears, opting to go to Kakariko Village, and saying the words, "At least they haven't given up." She promised to return a few times to check on Link, see if he'd come around, but hadn't returned since.

Link had never seen Ilia so resigned, or that hurt. The other villagers were also immensely worried for him, especially, Rusl, who even with his new duties to the Queen, made it a point to visit Link's treehouse to convince him to come out, and tell everyone he was okay.

It became Colin's personal mission to get Link's attention, and when he did, he would give Link the scolding of his life, a scolding even Queen Zelda herself wasn't capable of. He would scold Link for his selfishness and coldness.

"A spar?" was what Link said, but Colin had his words ready.

"A spar? That's _all_ you say after two years of hiding behind that door? Do you _know_ how worried we are?!" Colin shouted, preparing for his next flurry.

Link was visibly shocked, his hands trembling slightly, but Colin didn't relent.

"I know something happened. Something must have occurred during your adventure." Colin breathed and said, "But why didn't you just confide in any of us?

Link took a deep breath. "You don't understand, I – "

"We can't if you lock yourself in like that!" Colin retorted. "Do you remember how my father tried calling you down? Ilia? She once knelt by your ladder, every day, hoping somehow you'd answer her.

Colin stiffed his posture, "My father always stood by this spot every time he returned from an errand, without fail, calling for you. Do you remember that? DO YOU!?"

"I.." Link stuttered, his blue eyes looking down.

"Aren't we your family too, Link?" Colin said, his voice breaking slightly. "You've saved us, but why won't you let us save you too?"

Link swallowed. He couldn't possibly tell the irate boy, no _man_ , about Midna…could he? However, Colin was right that he was owed answers. After all, Link isolated himself for a lost cause: the Mirror of Twilight.

"I… I lost my best friend," Link finally said. "Well, one of them."

Colin nodded his head, patting the hero on his shoulder in hesitation. Link appreciated Colin's silence; he never liked condolences. He took another glance at Colin, noticing how slack his shoulders were after his outburst, and how tired he looked.

Wracked with guilt over his coldness towards the villagers, Link couldn't help but flash a smile of pride toward Colin. He truly changed so much from when he had last saw him. Colin was once a timid meek boy who trembled when pointed at by a tree branch.

He ruffled the boy's hair. "You've grown up, Colin…how has everybody been?"

At his touch, Colin stepped back in surprise. Suddenly, he embraced Link tightly. Link returned the embrace, finding out how much he missed everybody, which ran his guilt deeper.

"F-Fine, everybody's fine, Dad's a knight for the Queen," Colin was almost whispering into Link's ear at this point. "Fado is the village's guardsman, Bo's still mayor, and he's still shouting down at everybody, Ilia's gone to Kakariko, Malo – "

"Slow down, I'm not going anywhere," Link reassured.

Colin took a deep breath, and told Link of what they were doing. Malo apparently turned his little Malo Mart into a respectably large business, while Talo and Beth followed Ilia to Kakariko Village to help rebuild it; they felt that they owed Renado for everythng he did for them. Link sighed as he thought of Ilia, already one of his more prominent regrets. He'd make it up to her someday.

Rusl, however, was appointed as a Knight of Hyrule, abdicating his position as guardsman, which was given to Fado. He was rarely at the village, and spent more time in the castle, carrying out Queen Zelda's orders.

 _Queen_ Zelda.

The title rolled on his tongue, remembering the young princess who temporarily abdicated her throne to Zant's forces to buy time needed for Midna and Link to come. She was wiliing to sacrifice herself to save Midna's life, and on extension, Hyrule itself.

Link knew there was no one more worthy as Queen.

In general, Hyrule was at peace. There was no conflict, nothing. Zelda was already stabilizing the kingdom from its recent crisis, and the Goddesses' will enforced – Light had triumphed. Link laughed at the irony, remembering his attempt to re-assemble the Mirror of Twilight. !

Link wished he was Zelda, able to sacrifice anything and everything for her country, and her people. This was why Link knew he was never a hero; he couldn't do that. Midna was among other things, one of his best friends, and she made him content… _happy._

"Link?" Colin spoke up, springing Link from his thoughts. "You spaced out there."

"Ah, yes," Link said. "So, um, sparring?"

"You weren't listening, were you?" Colin smiled, making Link blush slightly. "Alright. But first, where's your sword?"

Link picked up a branch and gestured to it. "This will do."

The Hylian raised an eyebrow as Colin drew his wooden sword and positioned himself into a defensive stance – Rusl had clearly taught him a few things. The sparring went on for a few minutes with Link, and despite being heavily out of practice, he was still skilful enough to defeat Colin multiple times.

"Ow!" Colin fell on his butt after a well-aimed strike at the back of his knees. "Hero of Twilight, huh…"

Link gently rapped his shoulder.

"What was that for?"

"I'm not a hero." Link smiled before tossing the branch away. "Anyway, your footwork and speed needs some brushing up, and you get frustrated too easily. You have to be patient. Anyway, I need to check out something. I'll be a moment."

Colin nodded in understanding, before seeing Link return to his hut. He'd noticed Link sneaking a couple of wayward stares toward the hut midway through the duel.

"LINK!" Colin called out, and for the first time, Link answered a small, "Yes?"

"Don't be a stranger, okay?"

The Hylian flashed him a reassuring smile, then shutting the door. Truthfully, he wanted to further the meeting longer, but felt his Triforce resonating with _something_ inside the home. Suddenly, as he closed the door, he had flashes of memories, and a resonance of power coming from the Mirror. There was a familiar feeling of pain deep in his gut, a pain he hadn't felt for years. It was the pain of turning into a wolf. His vision started to melt into a dull, brown muddy colour, and he almost smelled the stream deep in the woods opposite his home. However, right as it started, it had stopped. He felt his rupee wallet, shaking violently from the obsidian stone. The resonance came from his desk, where the reconstructed Mirror lay. Link could only wonder what he had done.

Perhaps the residual magic wasn't residual after all. It was merely dormant, even when incomplete. Midna's tear was among other things, magic created directly from her, and only the Twilight Monarch had the power to manipulate the portal. In other words, Link might have unknowingly imposed the Princess' will onto the Mirror, awakening the "residual' magic within it.

Still, the residual magic within it was far from being of any use…

Link felt himself being pulled towards the desk, his muscles still aching from sparring with Colin. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the glowing tear within the Mirror, the remnant unknowingly activating the dormant residual energy, which grew stronger and stronger by the minute.

He didn't understand – the Mirror had nothing to draw from.

And then, he glanced at his left hand, which felt warm. Link gasped he saw the Triforce glowing, it's energy flowing towards the Mirror. His hand burned, and a deafening screech permeated the air as the Mirror continued to draw even more power from the Triforce. His hand felt like it was being ripped to shreds, and the screech became louder; the Triforce was trying to resist the powerful Mirror, but to no avail.

" _Not good… not good!"_

At that moment, he smelled the familiar musty, smoky smell of Twili world, hearing the haunting, slow breeze he was accustomed to.

"LINK!" Colin's voice felt distant.

The Triforce couldn't resist it; to his realization, the Mirror was probably a creation of the Goddesses themselves, something that he should have known. A mere man such as Link would be powerless against such a relic. Now though, Link had no Master Sword to counter the Mirror's power.

The Mirror continued to forcibly draw energy from the Triforce, and after what seemed like forever, it finally opened the portal. Instead of the familiar elegant, intricate markings once surrounding the portal, the markings and spells were crooked, a muddy darkness marring many inscriptions. Midna's tear was glowing almost white, and Link fought with all he could not to get sucked in.

The smell shifted to a more rancid one, a more _forsaken_ smell –not of the peaceful Twilight. The Triforce in his hand seemed to dim at the energy the portal emitted.

At that moment, Colin burst in. "LINK! What in the – Whoa!"

"Don't get any closer!" Link shouted, trying to keep his tone level and serious; he himself extremely frightened and guilty.

After all, he brought this on himself. Trying to reconstruct something he shouldn't have, and fighting against the will of the Goddesses. The power he felt was overwhelming, and more of it was being let loose into Hyrule, black muddy energy seeping through the portal... What had he done?

Link knew he didn't have much time left.

With the last of his strength, the hero told Colin, "Tell… tell the Queen what has transpired here. Tell her that I reforged the Mirror."

"But... but, we just met again." Colin's voice was broken, his eyes rimmed with tears.

"I'll come back soon," Link reassured. "But for now, go to the Queen. Take… take this. Now run!"

It was almost pure luck as Link managed to unfasten his rupee wallet just before he was finally sucked into the portal. He screamed as the portal finally took him; Link felt like he was being ripped into pieces and reassembled together again. It seemed like forever before the feeling ended, the world becoming white.

xXx

 **Hyrule Castle**

Within the Queen's chambers, Zelda held an uneasy feeling, and her Triforce of Wisdom seemed to hum weakly in her hand, as if whimpering. When she took notice, a foreboding dark cloud came over Hyrule, darkening her room, and pouring out an unrelenting storm.

She looked at the flowers her servants replaced the old ones with, and saw them withering prematurely. That could not have been a coincidence.

It was an omen from the Goddesses, no doubt.

The Queen couldn't help but fear something horrible was let loose upon Hyrule.

xXx

 **Fin. :)**

 **Reviews are appreciated and deeply listened to.**


	2. The Forsaken Realm

**Shadow's Echo**

II

 **The Forsaken Realm**

 **Author's note: Hope you guys enjoy.**

 **xXx**

* * *

Link woke up with a jolt. His vision was foggy and blurred. All he knew was that it was dark, and there was an incredible stench in the air. As he came to, his sight started to clear only to reveal blinking blue lights in the far distance. The rest of it was black, with the smallest hint of a path in his vision, leading to the Sols.

The stench seemed to grow stronger, and Link started to hear whispers in the air- not unlike the whispers he heard in the Twilight Realm, when souls of those affected by the Twilight lingered in fear. They were soft, almost musical- like a lullaby, but Link felt the malice and evil in the voice, just about permeating the air.

He wondered where he was; the Twilight Realm didn't feel this dangerous and hostile.

There was only one conclusion; something had gone wrong with the transportation. With Midna's residual magic forcibly activating the incomplete and broken Mirror, the teleportation was incomplete and faulty, stranding Link in wherever he was.

And at this point, only the Goddesses knew where he was.

Worse, Link had already returned the Master Sword, which would have kept the evil at bay as he tried to find his way back to safety. Without it, the Hero was vulnerable to whatever evils the place threw at him.

Not to mention Zant's curse, and the undoubted influence from the Mirror of Twilight that was undoubtedly taking its toll on Link. He could already feel it - a snaking, creeping sensation in his mind that he could not quite explain, as if it was muddying his thoughts and dulling his senses.

Link however, stayed optimistic, looking at the unmistakeable blue lights in the distance - Sols. For all intents and purposes, he was in the Twilight Realm nonetheless. He just had to follow the blue light of the magical spheres which lit up the dark realm. It was quiet all around, but he could hear it- the soft musical trill from the Sols.

Standing up, he tiredly walked towards it, letting himself be led towards the light of the Sols.

He could finally see Midna. The Twilight Princess who had haunted his dreams. The woman whom he bloodied his hands for.. the friend whom he defied the Goddesses for.

He would usually feel positive or happy for this turn of events. Sure, he had to navigate through a dangerous path, but he was no stranger to them anyway.

However, all Link felt, was a hollow guilt.

After all, he had re-opened the portal, but to a much more dangerous world, with powers the Triforce within him can barely resist. The Twilight incident had nearly destroyed Hyrule, and he was putting it in danger again by opening the portal to this evil realm.

Yes, he knew he would meet Midna again, but at what cost? Zelda? Colin? Even Rusl? They didn't deserve a terrible fate for his sins - they had fought enough already.

 _"_ _Indeed, Hero, they do not deserve that_." A firm voice sounded, laced with power that reverberated throughout his mind.

Link stopped in shock, as the voice continued.

" _Why have you defied us? Now you may have doomed Hyrule once and for all."_ Another voice, higher in tone, but full of disapproval.

The Hero fell back on his backside, his heart clenching in fear. The Triforce on his hand was burning, resonating with the presence in his mind. It wasn't long before he realized exactly who he was speaking to.

" _You are correct. We are the Goddesses of Hyrule. And we ask you, Hero, why have you defied us?"_

Link was too shellshocked to answer, as the Goddesses grew short in patience. He screamed as a deep pain took over his head. It felt like it was being torn apart piece by piece. He kept on screaming until his voice was hoarse, until he started begging the Goddesses to stop... to show him mercy…

Then, after what seemed like forever, the pain faded, and Link could only gasp out relief.

" _I apologize for our impatience, Hero, but we do not have time to wait for your answer. A great evil has been exposed upon Hyrule, and you are its cause. We must know if you had meant harm to Hyrule."_

" _For that girl, you would sacrifice everything."_ A newer voice. It was lower and hoarser than the both of them, and tinged with amusement.

Link at this point, was too fatigued to answer. Not that the Goddesses would care. They would probably rip through his memories again to get what they wanted.

" _It appears that you did not mean any harm to Hyrule. Yet we cannot ignore your transgression. Do you know where you are, child of Courage?"_

 _"_ _The… Twilight Realm,"_ Link managed, barely managing to find his voice.

" _Close enough, but false. You are in the Forsaken Realm- the Realm where we dispose of curses, and monsters which once plagued Hyrule. Powerful, and dark things are sealed here."_

 _"_ _And you have opened a gate to Hyrule. Now evil reigns free, enough to re-awaken the corrupted Triforce of Power. Do you know what this means, Hero?"_

 _"_ _Ganondorf_ ," Link breathed.

" _Or something worse,"_ One of the Goddesses noted. " _A corrupted Triforce of Power fed with the consciousness and magic of the Forsaken Realm needs no host."_

Link swallowed, a bead of sweat running down his brow. He knew his actions would have severe consequences, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect this.

" _This is your first penance, Hero. You will stop this from happening, lest a plague be released across pure Hyrule."_ The Goddesses boomed, before one of them added gently. " _I understand of your love for your Twili friend, but we have our reasons for our actions. It is not too late."_

" _However, you will not survive as you are right now. Already the realm has taken a toll on you. Thus.."_ The Goddess' voice was ominous and took a dark tone.

Black. Burn. Fire. That was all Link could think as he felt the heat from the Triforce spread across his body and the strange feeling in his mind become overwhelming. His already hoarse voice grew silent, reduced into a scratchy whimper as he started to feel the familiar feeling of transformation- except it was much more painful than before.

He felt magic seep into him as he transformed, making the process much more painful. Link saw his feet grow more distant as he looked down, as it grew larger, and grew some grey wolf fur, but stopping there- it was a sign that something was wrong. He felt water running down his side, looking in horror as he saw his enlarged, grotesque body- his left hand halfway between a paw and a human hand, while his right arm was simply human, but with the black skin of a wolf, and blood running down it.

He looked down, and his legs were nothing more than deformed things, some wolf legs, and some human legs- he could barely stand upright as he continued to blanch in horror, not daring to imagine what his _face_ looked like.

" _This is your curse, Hero. To survive in a realm of beasts, one must take the form of a beast. Only the Twilight Princess can reverse your curse, and save you now."_

"W-Why?" Link said, and he noticed how his voice had taken a guttural tone, like a wolf's growl.

" _You had asked for this."_

 _"_ _Follow the blue light of the Sols. Do not stray from your path.. do not trust the voices."_

 _"_ _Make haste. Time flows differently in the Forsaken Realm than they do in the Realm of Hyrule, and we are short of it. Now go, Beast. Do not worry; we are watching over you."_

 _"And be careful, Divine Beast. Foul things lurk in the Forsaken Realm, and you have naught but your own claws._ " The presence faded, and Link was finally alone. Releasing a breath that he didn't notice he was holding, Link exhaled deeply.

 _"_ Beast, huh," Link half-heartedly attempted a wry, sarcastic smile, noting the change of epithet. "Very reassuring."

With that in mind, Link lumbered forward, stumbling over his legs a few times, but stabilized enough to gallop onward as he did when he was a wolf. The whispers grew quieter, but stronger at the same time - his sensitive ears picked up on the musical lilt on them, and a familiar high-pitched tone that he knew very well.

But not the cheeky emotion in it, the gentleness - and that was how he continued onward. It wasn't her. He had sacrificed too much to stop now, and he had one destination in mind- Midna.

It was just a matter of time- at least he hoped, as the Triforce within his hand started to resonate again in his hand, except that the Goddesses' energy wasn't there anymore.

And if he had looked back, he would have noticed the blackness behind him growing darker.

 **xXx**

 **Hyrule Castle**

"Oh, Link, what have you done?" Zelda held a hand to her face, as she dismissed the young Colin.

Her normally silky, long straight brown hair was messier than usual, and her palms were pale from tightly gripping the wallet that Colin had given her. Her heart-shaped, gentle face, agreed by many of the townsfolk to be breathtakingly beautiful was contorted in worry and a slight bit of frustration.

Rolling a familiar crystallized tear on her fingers, the Queen felt a groan coming, as she analyzed the new list of headaches that Colin had brought up to her.

Zelda knew Link was distraught over Midna's departure - the face of utter shock as the Mirror shattered was something she'd never forget - but never did she expect this. Link had somehow reconstructed the Mirror on his own, and with meagre residual magic, managed to re-awaken the powerful portal.

It was unheard of. Even the strongest mages would struggle to recreate the Mirror, let alone activate it that way.

"Link must have truly wanted to go there." Zelda mused, as the Triforce of Wisdom hummed, as if in agreement. "So much that he directly went against the Goddesses."

That said however, she lamented that he did not trust his friends enough to talk to them about it. The Queen herself would have disapproved at his plans, yes, but she would have understood. Yet, why would he? She would only stop him, and she knew it. What he did put her kingdom in danger- again.

Taking a last look at his big wallet of rupees, Zelda sighed- but not before spotting something strange.

Something was glowing in the wallet, and the young Queen quickly snatched the object out. She bit her lip, recognizing the obsidian stone that held Link's curse, and it was shining red.

Then, Zelda heard a voice cursing - no, a mixture of voices. They were all speaking in unison, and it was the most interesting combination… However, it was also very familiar. She didn't recognize the deep, guttural voice, but she certainly knew the other. The other voice was richer, and deep, with a familiar Ordonian accent that she identified immediately.

 _"_ _Link?"_ She muttered.

"Zelda? No, just another voice... does this place never stop?" His voice was rough, and he sounded exhausted.

"Link? It's Zelda!" She called, hoping it'd reach him.

"No! You're just another voice, aren't you?" Link's voice was strained.

Zelda patiently replied. "I'm not, Link. We rode on horseback to fight Ganondorf together. I healed your hands after you tore it up collecting the Mirror shards. I'm Zelda, Link."

"Ah…" Link trailed off a little, his voice filled with so much _relief_ it worried the Queen even more.

"Where are you?" Zelda intoned calmly, which seemed to relax Link's breathing a little, which was so heavy she could hear it from her end.

That said, she remained nervous. Zelda heard the heavy breathing, the multiple voices, and the growls that usually followed. It was more animalistic than human, and she feared for Link. She wondered if the curse had returned.

"The Goddesses say I'm in the Forsaken Realm.." Link told. "How can you talk to me?"

"I don't know, Link; I just heard your voice from the stone in your pouch," Zelda said, before she sighed. "Why didn't you come to me? We could have found another way. And now look what happened. You've put us all in danger."

"There was none, and you know that," Link answered defiantly, though there was a trace of guilt. "I'm sorry."

"Indeed, Link. What you did gave me more headaches than I would prefer, especially after Ganondorf," Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose. ".. Link?"

The link had grown silent. It was too abrupt to be an accident, and Zelda could only hope that Link was safe. At any rate, she had to make a trip to the Great Hyrule Archives, and Ordon Village, where the reforged Mirror lay open.

The Queen had remembered talk about the Forsaken Realm from one of her tutors when she was younger- and nothing that she recalled about it was good.

Link had also dropped another detail; the Goddesses had made contact with him. It made her even more uneasy. For a problem to be as severe as to warrant a direct intervention from the Goddesses, it was a critical situation.

Before she left though, Zelda noticed the stone was still shining red. On a hunch, she held it to her lips.

"Stay safe, Link, and return quickly," Zelda softly told.

It was a while before she got an answer- an animalistic growl. Zelda recognized the tone of agreement within; it was the same growl Link used when he first met her as a beast- a wolf. That said, this was a different growl, more menacing and more _human_ and it chilled her to the bone. Nonetheless, she knew it to be Link.

"Good."

Pocketing the stone, Zelda finished her paperwork for the day, and left for the archives. It was going to be a very, very long week.

With that in mind, the normally reserved Queen finally allowed herself a deep groan of frustration.

 **xXx**

* * *

 **Seems a bit of filler, I know, but do bear with me; this chapter was necessary to set the stage for spicier scenes & chapters. And I know our favourite imp hasn't made an appearance yet, but she will soon. Exciting times ahead!**

 **Reviews are appreciated, and deeply listened to.**


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